Seahawks

Leading up to the Super Bowl on Sunday, there have been lots of rallies for the Seahawks. One of the most unusual took place in the Burke Museum, a natural history museum on the University of Washington campus.

Jim Borda of Federal Way and Creig Beckett of Seattle didn't know each other before this past weekend. But they both showed up at the same time outside Century Link Field — at 10 a.m. Sunday — to get in line for tickets to the NFC Championship game between the Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers.

The 12th Man showed up in full force for the Seattle Seahawks’ victory parade on Wednesday. Seattle police estimated some 700,000 people braved the cold to line the streets and cheer for the Super Bowl champions.

"I think it just gives us a sense of pride. It's given everyone something to rally around and be excited about. It's just brought joy to so many people here," said Lesli Burns, a fan.

The day after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, the team store at CenturyLink Field was doing brisk business. Fans crowded into the space, buying everything from towels to shirt to hats sporting the Super Bowl XLVIII logo.

Arby Asatorrians, who'd already waited in line to buy a hat, was holding a souvenir football he planned to purchase.

“We were already downtown last night, celebrating after the game. I was wanting something to commemorate having a piece of the Super Bowl,” he said.

How did the Seahawks end up in Super Bowl? Thank the team’s abysmal 2009 season, says KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel.

Art says that miserable season led the Seahawks to fire both their general manager Tim Ruskell and first-year coach Jim Mora. The team, which had a short list of candidates for general manager, made Pete Carroll an offer he couldn’t refuse.

The first Seattle Seahawk to storm the field during home games isn’t the head coach or the quarterback — it isn’t even human. It’s Taima, a captive-bred Augur Hawk that has accompanied the team before every home game since 2007.

She is a beautiful representative of a species from the aridlands of East Africa, hardly a hawk of the sea.

Marshawn Lynch, who faced NFL fines for not talking to reporters, appears to have made his peace with the media, says KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel.

The Seahawk took reporters’ questions for 15 minutes on Thursday morning, just a day after the Football Writers Association of America lodged a complaint with the NFL regarding access to Lynch.

“He appeared in front of the media with his aide de camp and horse whisperer, Michael Robinson,” said Art. “Michael has been a great asset and a great friend to Lynch, and the two of them together kind of entertained everyone.”

The rain didn’t dampen the spirit of Seahawks fans who turned out in force for a rally and flag signing at the Seattle Center on Wednesday.

After Mayor Ed Murray and former Seahawks players spoke from an open air stage, a 12th man flag that had flown on top of the Seattle Space Needle was taken down and put in a tent. Fans lined up to sign it.